Here's to You, Ito-kun!

Ito-kun('Ee-to koon') is bright-faced and ready to go. There is nothing hiding behind those brown eyes and freckles. Ito-kun is wonderfully and absolutely nuts.

There are only a few special ed kids at #1 Middle School. There's the boy who barks like a dog and wears girl's school uniforms(perhap he was found to be a girl during the school physicals; I just don't know), there's the partially retarded girl whose smile shines like an kind old Japanese lady, and then there's Ito-kun.
Ito-kun's illness in difficult to describe. Maybe he's diagnosed: 'too independent.'

I've never actually seen a Japanese student fall asleep in class. Last time, Ito-kun fell asleep. When we woke him up, I could see some drawings in his notebook. There were some fish and a few triangles. I've never seen drawings in any of the students notebooks.
Ito-kun can't take tests. He can learn simple things, but he has no concentration.
He is frequently late for class. Generally, when he's late, he'll explode into the classroom, shouting out in English, 'I'm sorry Sensei, I'm sorry!'
Ito-kun is the only student who ever showed concern for me if I had to cough during class. "Are you all right?", he'd say in Japanese, and would continue asking again and again until I answered.

Sometimes, he'll come up to my desk in the staff room and say 'Julie Sensei, hello', and if I don't respond quickly enough, he'll say, 'Fine, thank you, and you?'

I don't think the teachers know what to do with Ito-kun. He's so friendly, harmless, yet he holds so much power over the teachers. He is free in his will, and the teachers can't help but love him and be ever so afraid of him.

My favorite time is when he comes up to me and speaks absolute nonsense. Then he turns and walks away, satisfied with the hearty exchange.
And there's nothing I can do but to appreciate the splendor of life's variety.